Folding cardboard playhouse

ABSTRACT

A folding playhouse for recreational use by small children. The playhouse is of a single piece of rigid cardboard held together at its ends by strips of adhesive back hook and loop fasteners to form four walls. The playhouse has an integral roof formed by the same means. The playhouse folds flat for storage by means of an accordion style fold.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0002] Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING

[0003] Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] 1. Field of Endeavor

[0005] The present invention falls under Class 446—Amusement Devices:Toys, Subclass 478, a collapsible toy building. This collapsibleplayhouse is intended primarily for play by small children. It would notbe suitable as an actual form of housing if made on a larger scale. Thestructure of the playhouse is such that is can be folded to reduce thesize of the playhouse, making it easy to store.

[0006] 2. Background Information

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide an easilyassembled playhouse for the use of young children in a recreationalsetting.

[0008] It is the further object of the present invention to be of a sizewhich can be conveniently used for the recreation of small children inmost homes.

[0009] It is the further object of the present invention to be, whenfolded, of a size easily stored in most homes. The method by which theplayhouse folds is intended to be simple and to reduce the volume of theinvention to a very small size.

[0010] It is the further object of the present invention to fold in sucha manner as to not compromise the integrity of the assembled structure:the roof of the playhouse does not fold down when folded for storage,therefore that part of the structure is not weakened by undo stress.

[0011] It is the further object of the present invention to beconstructed of materials that are lightweight yet durable. This includesthe mechanism by which the playhouse is joined together when assembled,which is a hook and loop fastener system.

[0012] Several products similar to the present invention were found,such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,977,119 which is a “collapsible playhouse madeof two equal parts.” The playhouse described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,977,119is of two parts which must be “taped or hinged together” in order toassemble the playhouse. Also found was U.S. Pat. No. 6,108,982, a“folding play structure” which is held together by interlockingcardboard tabs which are an integral part of the house itself. Inaddition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,664, which is a complicated playhouse ofmultiple parts which could possibly be held together with hook and loopfasteners.

[0013] The prior art is unsatisfactory because it requires multipleparts to make up the construction of the whole play house. Some of thesestructures must be joined using tape, glue, or some other means ratherthan their method ofjoining being an integral part of the structure.Others which are held together with hook and loop fasteners are made ofseveral parts, making them difficult to assemble, disassemble, andstore.

[0014] The prior art is also unsatisfactory because once suchaforementioned structures are assembled, they are impossible todisassemble without causing damage to the structure.

[0015] The prior art is also unsatisfactory because the method by whichit folds is not easily stored.

[0016] The prior art is also unsatisfactory in that prior one pieceplayhouses are joined together by means of integral cardboardinterlocking tabs which, after use, become weakened, making thestructure unstable and difficult to hold together.

[0017] While the present invention shows similarities to single aspectsof several different past inventions, none were found with all of thecomponents of the present invention under one patent.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, easyto assemble, lightweight reusable playhouse for use by young children ina recreational setting. The playhouse is made from rigid cardboardmaterial, making it inexpensive and easy to manage. The playhouse is asingle piece of precut cardboard, which when assembled, forms aplayhouse of four walls, a roof, and no floor. The ends of the cardboardare joined together to form the playhouse using a hook and loop system.The walls are defined by score lines that are perpendicular to the floorand which divide the playhouse into four equal sections; said scorelines form 90 degree angles, making the assembled playhouseapproximately a square. The roof of the playhouse is an integral part ofthe structure, the sections of the roof being extensions of the fourwalls and are joined together by the hook and loop system to form theroof. The playhouse has a swinging door for access to the definedinterior play space.

[0019] The present invention is an improvement over prior art in that:

[0020] The size of the present invention is large enough to define anadequate play area for small children, but small enough to be used, whenassembled, indoors in most homes.

[0021] The present invention is made of one piece and does not requireany outside means for assembly.

[0022] The present invention lacks protruding tabs, intended to hold thehouse together, which may be torn off easily, weakening the playhouse.

[0023] The present invention uses a hook and loop system to hold ittogether when assembled; this system being more durable than what hasbeen used in prior art.

[0024] The present invention folds easily for storage using an accordionfold, which can be completed by adults or children, making the playhousemore practical for use than the prior art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0025]FIG. 1: Assembled Playhouse

[0026]FIG. 2: Beginning Accordion Fold, Inside View

[0027]FIG. 3: Beginning Accordion Fold, Outside View

[0028]FIG. 4: Flat view of entire playhouse

[0029]FIG. 5: Playhouse Disassembled and Folded Flat for Storage

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] The present invention relates to a one piece foldable playhousewhich, when erected, is adequate in size to accommodate small childrenand, when not in use, folds simply to a size that is easily stored. Theplayhouse is comprised of a single piece of rigid cardboard as in FIG.4.

[0031]FIG. 1 illustrates the appearance of the playhouse when assembled.

[0032] Said assembly is achieved by first joining the edge of FIG. 2Reference D to extension FIG. 2 Reference E by means of a hook and loopfastener system attached by adhesive to both parts; one component of thehook and loop system being attached to extension FIG. 2 Reference E, thecorresponding part of the hook and loop fastener system being attachedto the outer edge of FIG. 2 Reference D which is on the inside of theplayhouse when said playhouse is assembled.

[0033] The roof panels illustrated in FIG. 4 References M and N benddownward at an angle, which is defined by the pitch of the roof, and aresecured by means of the hook and loop fastener system, M being joined toReferences P and Q, N being joined to References R and 0. One componentof the hook and loop fastener system being attached by adhesive to 0, P,Q, and R and the corresponding component of the hook and loop fastenersystem being attached to the outer side edges which are on the inside ofthe erected house of M and N by means of adhesive.

[0034] When said playhouse is erected, it forms an approximate squarehaving four walls whose corners are defined by score line in FIG. 2,reference F, G, and H, the fourth corner of said approximate squarebeing formed when the edge of FIG. 2 panel D is joined to extension 2E.The interior space formed by the assembled unit defines an approximatesquare and a triangular gabled roof of predetermined pitch, as in FIG.1.

[0035]FIG. 5 illustrates the playhouse when folded flat for storage. Inorder to achieve the fold illustrated in FIG. 5, FIG. 2 Reference D isfolded along score line H in FIG. 2 to meet FIG. 2 Reference C, FIG. 3Reference K folds along score line G in FIG. 2 to meet FIG. 3 ReferenceJ, and FIG. 2 Reference B folds along score line F in FIG. 2 to meetFIG. 2 Reference A, which produces a flat article such as in FIG. 5.

I claim as my invention:
 1. A one piece folding collapsible play housemade of one continuous piece of rigid cardboard having walls comprisedof four equal sides which are defined by scores which form approximateninety degree corners when said playhouse is assembled by folding alongsaid scores forming an approximate square; also, said playhouse includesan integrated roof formed by two gabled ends which are contiguous partsof opposite walls and two main roof sections which are contiguous partsof the other two opposite walls which, when said main roof sections arefolded downward to form an approximate forty five degree angle rest uponthe gabled ends, forming a roof with a peak and definite pitch.
 2. Themeans of assembling and joining together said playhouse being adhesivebacked interlocking hook and loop fastener strips which are attached bysaid adhesive backing to a contiguous extension, also of cardboard,along one end of said playhouse which joins with the inside surface ofthe opposite end of said playhouse forming an approximate square whenjoined; also, the roof sections of said playhouse are joined by the samemeans, extensions along the sides of the gabled ends of the roof whichjoin to the main sections of the roof by means of the adhesive backedhook and loop fastener system to the inside of the main sections of theroof forming the predetermined pitch of the roof, with the gabled endssupporting the main roof sections.
 3. A method of folding the one pieceplayhouse in which all four walls and the gable and main sections of theroof remain in their original orientation, that is, the roof sections donot fold down when the playhouse is folded for storage.
 4. As in claim3, the method of folding said playhouse being: bringing the inside ofthe first wall, which is the front side of the playhouse, against theinside of the second wall, which is a gabled end of the playhouse, thenbringing the outside of that gabled end against the outside of the nextcontiguous section of the playhouse, which is the back side of theplayhouse, then bringing the inside of that back section of theplayhouse against the last contiguous section of the playhouse, which isthe other gabled end causing it to fold flat.